- Date
- September 20, 1992, 19:53 local (23:53 UTC)
- Place
- Boston, MA
- Injuries
- 315 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N786DLLockheed L1011-385
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19920920044949I
- Case key
- 11743
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Inadequate lubrication which caused stress corrosion cracking and the separation of the right wing number two flap vane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was landing on runway 4R, when according to the pilot, he was established on the glide slope when he felt a vibration. He reported that the flying characteristics degraded and he made the necessary correction successfully. There were no indications in the cockpit of any failure. The airplane touched down 2 minutes later and taxied to the gate without any further incidence. Inspection of the airplane revealed separation of the no. 2 flap vane from the right wing. Further testing by the NTSB lab revealed the separation occurred due to stress corrosion and fatigue cracking that initiated at the lug bore.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N786DL
- Reported as
- Lockheed L1011-385
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 193A-1123
- Airframe hours
- 39,472
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce RB211, turbo jet
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Airlines
- Registered owner
- Delta Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 12, 1992 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 26,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BOS, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.